DUNDALK, Md. — When you think of the Orioles and baseball, you don't usually think of owning a pet.
But Baltimore County Animal Services wanted to use the excitement of opening day to benefit the shelter's animals.
“There's no better place to spend your Orioles week than at Poor Boys Sports. I mean, when you walk in, you know it's something of a mecca for Baltimore sports fans. So we thought we could come to your parking lot and set up a cuddle shuttle with adoptable pets, and they really welcomed the idea.” says Abby Isaacs.
Mike Tyson, owner of Poor Boys, says partnering with a shelter was a no-brainer. This week will be one of the busiest pre-game weeks, so he says he expects more customers than usual.
“We've always loved animals. We've always talked about animals, so it's very hard to adopt them. And we've had success here so far. ” says Mike Tyson.
Abbey Isaacs from BCAS said this is the start of many partnerships with businesses in the area, particularly to facilitate adoption of the large number of dogs at the shelter.
“Since last Monday, we have adopted out 77 dogs, which is a tremendous number considering how many dogs were already in the shelter,” says Abby Isaacs.
BCAS brought in a variety of animals, including seven dogs, two cats, two guinea pigs, one rabbit, one turtle, and one bird. This was no ordinary bird. It was an oriole bird.
He showed up to support the adoption event and took photos with fans and his new furry friends.
Mike Tyson said it's important to find owners for all animals, especially dogs, as shelters face challenges in adopting dogs.
“I’ve been here for years and I’ve seen dogs and I’ve rescued dogs from the road and they all have homes because anything that’s running around can get hit by cars and stuff like that. We need it.’ That’s a good thing,” Mike Tyson says.
The best part, other than seeing the oriole, was that all pet adoption fees were waived and each dog adoption also came with a free toy and leash.
“We want to find forever homes for our pets, but we also want to match them with the perfect family match,” says Isaacs.
Four dogs, a cat, and a turtle all left the shelter once and for all to join new families.
